Brightcove + Zencoder: Video Encoding in the Cloud

We recently announced the acquisition of Zencoder, a leading cloud-based video encoding service provider. We’re very excited about what this acquisition means for the future of both companies, but more importantly how it will help content publishers deliver video content more effectively on every screen.

Video transcoding (or encoding) is an essential element in online video content delivery, as it enables publishers to take their video libraries and convert them into formats that are compatible with any device or platform. This can ultimately mean hundreds of formats given the explosion of devices on which video can be consumed, which can lead to a costly, time consuming and complex process.

Historically, organizations have solved this problem through a combination of hardware and software, which can be both expensive and inefficient. But, most publishers who are publishing and transcoding video often have large spikes where they have lots of video to process, and then they often have lulls or downtime when fewer videos are needed. If an organization is relying on an on-premise hardware system or software for transcoding, it becomes very difficult to accommodate that changing workflow and scale up or down when needed, causing organizations to pay for a lot of idle time.

A cloud-based approach like Zencoder’s gives publishers access to unlimited video encoding power without the costs and complexity associated with managing expensive encoding hardware and/or software. This eliminates the need for large up-front investments and enables a utility-style pricing model that can cost-effectively scale to handle fluctuating workloads.

You can learn more about Zencoder and our shared vision for the future of cloud encoding in this month’s Bright Ideas video featuring Jon Dahl, former co-founder and CEO of Zencoder and current vice president of encoding services at Brightcove.